Basketball jump ball standard



1954 J. L. HAINES BASKETBALL JUMP BALL STANDARD Filed Dec. 5, 1952 A IT INVENTOR. JOHN L AQ/NEJ ArrToP/v -p United States Patent BASKETBALL JUMP BALL STANDARD John Leslie Haines, Galva, Ill.

Application December 5, 1952, Serial No. 324,236

2 Claims. (Cl. 2731.5)

This invention relates to athletic equipment, and more particularly to an improved adjustable jump ball standard for supporting a basketball at a desired height to enable a player to make practice jumps.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved practice device for adjustably supporting a basketball in a suspended elevated position to enable a player to make practice jumps, the improved standard being simple in construction, being easy to manipulate, and providing a means for enabling a player to attain improved proficiency in controlling a basketball in the jump play and to increase the height at which a player may tap the ball when it is thrown upwardly during a contest.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved practice jump standard for supporting a basketball in an elevated position wherein a player may practice jumping for the ball, the improved standard involving inexpensive components, being sturdy in construction, and providing a means of measurement of the height to which a player can jump and control a basketball.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved basketball jump standard constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional detail view taken through the end of the supporting arm of the jump standard of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional detail view taken through the top end portion of the upstanding outer tubular rod member of the jump standard of Figure 1, showing the height scale on the inner rod member of the standard.

Referring to the drawings, the improved jump standard is designated generally at 11 and comprises a relatively heavy, circular base 12 formed with an upstanding central, sleeve-like socket 13 in which is secured a vertical tubular rod 14. Designated at 15 is a second tubular rod which slidably fits into the rod 14 and which is telescopically movable in said vertical rod 14. Designated at 16 is a set screw which is threaded through the upper portion of the tubular member 14 and which is clampingly engageable with the inner member 15, as shown in Figure 3, the set screw 16 being provided with the handle 17, whereby the inner rod 15 may be manually clamped in a desired adjusted position. Secured to the top end of the vertically adjustable rod member 15 is the elbow 18, and secured to the horizontally directed arm of elbow 18 is the laterally extending horizontal arm 19. Arm 19 is preferably of tubular stock and is provided at its end with the closure cap 20.

The arm 19 is formed near the closure cap 20 with a slot 21, and engaged through the slot is a link 22. Engaged in the top portion of the link 22 is a second link 23 which is housed in the arm 19 and which is arranged transverse to the slot 21, whereby the link 22 is retained in the position thereof shown in Figure 2. Engaged with the link 22 is the swivel member 23, said swivel member comprising the eye element 24 extending through the link 22 to which is rotatably connected the hook member 25. Hook member 25 is a conventional spring hook having the locking spring 26.

Designated at 27 is a conventional basketball whose cover is formed with the usual slot 28 across which extend the laces 29. Designated at 30 is a wire loop member having the upstanding bight portion, shown in Figure 2 at 31, and formed with the oppositely extending reversely bent legs 32, 32. As shown in Figure 2, the legs 32 are engaged beneath a pair of adjacent laces 29, the bight portion 31 of the loop member 30 projecting upwardly between said pair of adjacent laces. Bight portion 31 is interlockingly engaged with the hook 25, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the basketball 27 is suspended from the end of arm 19, and may be removed by disengaging the hook 25 from the bight portion 31, whenever desired.

The vertically adjustable rod member 15 is provided with a scale of heights, suitably calibrated to indicate the height of the center of the basketball 27 from the floor, said scale being read at the top end of the outer tubular sleeve 14,

In using the device, the member 15 is secured in any desired vertically adjusted position, to support the basketball 27 at the desired height above the floor. The player may then make practice jumps, and the coach or player may then read the height of the ball from the scale provided on the member 15. By diligent use of the practice device, a player can gain substantial height in his jumps and can learn to control the direction of movement of the ball at the height at which he is able to tap the ball in his practice jumps.

While a specific embodiment of an improved basketball jump standard has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A basketball jump standard comprising a base, a vertical tubular sleeve secured on said base, a vertical rod member telescopically received in said sleeve, a set screw threadedly engaged in said sleeve and clampingly engaging said rod member, an elbow secured to the top end of said rod member, a hollow tubular horizontally extending arm having one end secured to said elbow, a cap closing the other end of said arm, there being a slot in said arm adjacent to and inwardly of said cap, a link extending through said slot, a second link housed in said arm adjacent said cap and engaged by the first named link, an eye element dependingly secured to said first named link, a hook element secured to said eye element, a basketball, and a loop element secured to said basketball and engaged with said hook element.

2. A basketball jump standard comprising a base, a vertical tubular sleeve secured on said base, a vertical rod member telescopically received in said sleeve, a set screw threadedly engaged in said sleeve and clampingly engaging said rod member, an elbow secured to the top end of said rod member, a hollow tubular horizontally extending arm having one end secured to said elbow, a cap closing the other end of said arm, there being a slot in said arm adjacent to and inwardly of said cap, a link extending through said slot, a second link housed in said arm adjacent said cap and engaged by the first named link, an eye element dependingly secured to said first named link, a hook element secured to said eye element, a basketball having a slotted cover and laces traversing the slot in the cover, and a loop element having opposed outwardly extending legs, said legs being received in said slot beneath the laces, the loop element having a bight portion projecting upwardly between a pair of adjacent laces, said bight portion being engaged with said hook element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,379,572 Gibson July 3, 1945 2,625,356 Kennedy et al. Jan. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 240,652 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1925 

